Re: Scents by Bond 9 that are totally original and not "inspired' by other scents?

I can only think of Central Park, but I haven't smelled too much of the range. When you smell it, you don't think, "Wow, that's a really stragne and unique scent!" But at the same time, it doesn't smell like anything I know of.

"It's not what you look like when you're doing what you're doing; it's what you're doing when you're doing what you look like you're doing."

Re: Scents by Bond 9 that are totally original and not "inspired' by other scents?

Re: Scents by Bond 9 that are totally original and not "inspired' by other scents?

Originally Posted by Kerosene

... Brooklyn ...

I reviewedBrooklyn recently, and it's top and middle notes bring to mind a watered down riff on the Déclaration theme. The base notes are a standard-issue, faceless, woody gemisch. While a couple of the other Bond No. 9s I've tried, including H. O. T. Always and Riverside Drive, have left positive impressions, Chinatown is still the only one I'd call inventive or original.

Re: Scents by Bond 9 that are totally original and not "inspired' by other scents?

Originally Posted by Off-Scenter

I reviewedBrooklyn recently, and it's top and middle notes bring to mind a watered down riff on the Déclaration theme. The base notes are a standard-issue, faceless, woody gemisch. While a couple of the other Bond No. 9s I've tried, including H. O. T. Always and Riverside Drive, have left positive impressions, Chinatown is still the only one I'd call inventive or original.

Never smelled Declaration and that's incentive to never try that one. I think Brooklyn is awful, but I havent found anything that smells like it.

Re: Scents by Bond 9 that are totally original and not "inspired' by other scents?

In a full wearing, Wall Street probably develops into its own scent for sure.

Bond has such a rep for being "inspired" by other frags, so it's easy to start ripping every frag apart.

I think too, there can be a tendency for many to make a snap judgement based on similarity of opening notes based on quick in store test. New Haarlem sprayed on card seems identical to Rochas Man. But I've never given it a test wear.

I ran away from Antico Caruso initially because I thought the opening smelled exactly like Le Male. Revisited it- gave it a full wearing, and while slightly similar, it is its own scent.

Re: Scents by Bond 9 that are totally original and not "inspired' by other scents?

Originally Posted by LiveJazz

I can only think of Central Park, but I haven't smelled too much of the range. When you smell it, you don't think, "Wow, that's a really stragne and unique scent!" But at the same time, it doesn't smell like anything I know of.

TBH, I don't think Central Park is all that unique. I can't quite place what exactly it smells like, but I got a ton of verbena from it, similar to the L'Occitane Verbena scent.

Re: Scents by Bond 9 that are totally original and not "inspired' by other scents?

Re: Scents by Bond 9 that are totally original and not "inspired' by other scents?

Originally Posted by Diamondflame

I wouldn't call 'Chinatown' unique either...smells like a lighter, more floral Opium.

Hmm. I don't see much resemblance here - at least to the original Opium. (I haven't smelled the new stuff.) On the other hand, I do think Chinatown derives to some degree from the strain of powdery sweet fruity chypres that includes Sophia Grojsman's Yvresse and Trésor, and clearly relates to some of Aurelian Guichard's other work, particularly his reconstruction of Visa and his Azzaro Couture. That said, I do think Chinatown displays more than enough individuality to qualify as "original," especially by the standards of this frequently derivative house.

Re: Scents by Bond 9 that are totally original and not "inspired' by other scents?

Originally Posted by StylinLA

Bond has such a rep for being "inspired" by other frags, so it's easy to start ripping every frag apart.

I think too, there can be a tendency for many to make a snap judgement based on similarity of opening notes based on quick in store test. New Haarlem sprayed on card seems identical to Rochas Man. But I've never given it a test wear.

I agree, I think that it also depends on personal chemistry. On my skin New Haarlem smells very different than Rochas Men, especially over time and I much prefer New Haarlem. I found Rochas Men to be much more masculine and New Haarlem to be fairly unisex - which is a plus for me since I'm a girl ^_^

I don't find Chinatown similar to Opium at all either.

I would say that the last few Bond releases actually smell like previous Bonds to me. High Line reminds me of Brooklyn layered with another fragrance.